A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa state Hon Waribugo Worikuma has defected along with about 2,500 members from Nembe constituency 3 to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Waribugo, who said they were aggrieved members of the PDP, said they opted to the APC because they are impressed with the progressive disposition of the APC.
He stated when he presented the defecting members to the state APC chairman, Hon Jothan Amos, Wednesday at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa.
They claimed that their reason for opting out of the PDP was because of the inability of the ruling party to include youths of the state in its programmes and policies.
“This is one of the happiest day of my life, as one of the founding member of the PDP and a staunched believer of dividends of democracy since 1999. I have led this group of persons to a new way of life, where light and progress is the main focus.
“We were mistakenly hooked up somewhere for a very long time but our eyes are opened. We are in APC today because of their believe in the youths, but in PDP the only believe is rotating the older people in position of power and that is why the state has remained backward.
“Our future was almost lost but thank God we have follow the glory to this great and progressive party. We are influential and that is the reason we always trouble this party during elections but now we will use it to the advantage of the APC.
“We are not here to deceive anybody, our body and soul is here now, and we want to assure the progressive family that the takeover mission has started.”
Speaking while receiving them, a delighted APC chairman lauded them for showing courage in the face of hostility and deciding to join the progressive party rather than remain in the party where selfishness is dominant attitude.
Amos, who disclosed that major stakeholders in the PDP will soon decamp to the party, said a date would be fixed to formally receive the defectors at a grand ceremony.
In his brief remark, a stalwart of the party, Hon. Orusakwe Aseimiegha said this marks another milestone in the pursuit to dislodge the draconian government in the state, adding that another reason is the poverty and darkness that has taken over the state.
He pointed out that the strategy to actualise the political missionary mission will be persuasion, adding that there’s need for every Bayelsan to tell other members of the party of the takeover campaign.
